Suspension device for a cake of soap

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a suspension device for a cake of soap in the form of an elongated, flexible, polyethylene molded strip, which has pin engaging apertures at its outer ends and collars formed integrally therewith, and pins or inserts of acrylic resin for engaging in said apertures and for insertion into the side faces of the soap cake for retaining said cake soap and suspension loop in relative non-rotational position; and a wall bracket of polymerized methyl-methacrylate having an upright portion adapted to be adhesively attached to a wall over a wash basin or the like, such wall bracket having an upper, outwardly projecting hook arm and a lower, outwardly projecting drip pan, such hook when the suspension loop is hung therefrom holding such soap cake over said drip pan, in air, and out of contact with a moisture or water collecting vessel or surface.

United States Patent Ayoub et al.

[54] SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR A CAKE OF SOAP [22] Filed: April 16, 1970[21] Appl. No.: 29,182

[52] US. Cl. ..248/360, 248/309, 248/317,

211/73, 211/88 [51] int. Cl ..Fl6|n 13/02 [58] Field of Search..248/317, 318, 359, 360;

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 533,138 2/1922 France ..252/92 51 Sept.26, 1972 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attorney-Howard .1.Churchill, Robert S. Dunham, P. E. l-lenninger. Lester W. Clark, ThomasF. Moran, Gerald W. Griffin, R. Bradlee Boal, Christopher C. Dunham andRobert Scobey [57] ABSTRACT The present invention provides a suspensiondevice for a cake of soap in the form of an elongated, flexible.polyethylene molded strip, which has pin engaging apertures at its outerends and collars formed integrally therewith, and pins or inserts ofacrylic resin for engaging in said apertures and for insertion into theside faces of the soap cake for retaining said cake soap and suspensionloop in relative non-rotational position; and a wall bracket ofpolymerized methylmethacrylate having an upright portion adapted to beadhesively attached to a wall over a wash basin or the like, such wallbracket having an upper, outwardly projecting hook arm and a lower.outwardly projecting drip pan, such hook when the suspension loop ishung therefrom holding such soap cake over said drip pan, in air, andout of contact with a moisture or water collecting vessel or surface.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR A CAKE OF SOAP Thepresent invention relates to a suspension device for a cake of hand soapand the like and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

More particularly, the present invention provides a suspension devicefor a cake of hand soap and the like which comprises a substantiallysemi-circular flexible loop having soap engaging members at its outerends which can readily be pressed into non-rotational engagement withsuch soap cake, the device also including a supporting hook forreceiving and supporting the loop, and preferably a drip pan disposedbelow the soap cake, when suspended by the loop, for collecting the soapand water drippings, the soap cake when suspended being held out ofcontact with such drip pan, a wash basin or other surface.

It has been our observation and experience that soap cakes when placedin a soap dish or recessed soap container on a wash basin, bath tub orthe like, wastes away during non-use due to accumulated moisture orwater in constant contact with the soap cake.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to make various types of soap cakescaptive, with such captive means extending therethrough and extendingtherefrom. Also, it has been proposed to provide suspendible cakes ofsoap, but this required that the part of the suspension means beincorporated during manufacture or casting of the cake.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension devicefor a soap cake which may readily be applied to any commerciallyavailable cake of soap and which will hold such cake out of contact witha soap dish, recessed soap container or other moisture or watercollecting vessel so that such soap cake in nonuse is maintained dry anddoes not waste away.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a suspensiondevice for a soap cake which may be readily applied to a commerciallyavailable cake of soap and which when so applied may have non-rotationalengagement therewith, i.e., the connection of such suspension device tothe soap cake will prevent relative rotation between the soap cake andsuch suspension device.

With these and other objects in view, the present in vention will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the device of the present invention,including a suspension loop, a soap cake, a supporting bracket and adrip pan.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly fragmentary, of the soap cake,suspension loop, and supporting bracket shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view looking from the left in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a modifiednon-rotational suspension loop; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a single, non-rotational pin for usewith the suspension loop embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a conventional cake of soap 10of approximately three-dimensional rectangular proportions, is supportedby a suspension loop 11 of substantially semi-circular shape, suchsuspension loop having at each of its ends apertures l2, 13 forreceiving and retaining pins or inserts l4, 15. The pins or inserts 14,15 as best seen in FIG. 3, have heads 16 and pointed ends 17 whichpermit such pins to be manually pressed into the side face 20 of a cakeof soap and to be retained therein. The head 16 of each insert 14, 15,is pushed into the soap through the apertures l2, 13 in the ends of thesuspension loop, the apertures having a molded or similar reinforcingcollar 22 which is engaged by the heads 16.

The suspension loop 11 preferably is formed of an elongated flexiblematerial such as a molded polypropylene strip. The preferred thicknessis one thirty-second inch and the preferred length is approximately 5inches. The molded strip 11 also preferably is provided with reinforcingcollars 22, formed integrally therewith.

The pins or inserts 14, 15 preferably are fabricated from acrylic resin.In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, four such inserts arerequired, -two for each end of the suspension loop, so as to preventrelative rotation between the loop 11 and soap cake [0. The apertures I2and 13 are longitudinally spaced and substantially coincide with thelongitudinal axis of the strip 11.

In the alternative form of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of thedrawings, each end of the suspension loop 11 is provided with a singleaperture 23 having an integrally molded reinforcing collar 24, suchaperture and collar being elliptical in form with the major axis of theellipse paralleling or coinciding with the longitudinal axis of thestrip 11. The insert or pin 26 shown in FIG. 6 is especially adapted foruse with and insertion in the elliptical aperture 23. It will be notedthat the insert or pin 26 has a shank 27 of similar ellipticalconfiguration and has a pointed end 28. Also, its head 29 closelyapproximates the size and shape of the aperture 23 and reinforcingcollar 24. With this construction, when the pin or insert 26 is insertedthrough the aperture 23 into a soap cake 10, it will serve the dualpurpose of retention and anti-rotation between the suspension loop 11and soap cake 10.

As best seen in perspective in FIG. I, the invention also provides awall bracket 30 having an upright wall engaging member 31 which may beadhesively or otherwise attached to the wall such as by an adhesivelayer 33. The wall bracket also includes an outwardly projecting arm 35having a slightly upturned end 36 which serves as a hook for thesuspension loop 11 to hold it and the soap cake in properly suspendedposition and spaced from the wall 37.

Preferably integrally formed as part of the wall bracket 30 is anoutwardly projecting drip pan 39 having a base 40 and an upturned lip41.

The wall bracket 30 preferably is formed of polymerizedmethyl-methacrylate which is also known under the trademark "Plexiglas."

With this arrangement of parts, as thus described it has been found thatthe soap cake 10 is held out ofcontact with water or accumulatedmoisture which usually collects in a conventional soap dish or arecessed portion of a wash basin and the like, and that the soap wastageis substantially reduced. In fact, it has been found that with theconstruction of the present invention the life of a cake of soap hasbeen extended as much as between two and three times.

It will be understood that with the cake soap l suspended in air and outof contact with moisture or water which generally accumulates inconventional soap dishes, whatever water is on the soap at the time itis suspended from hook 36 will drip into the drip pan 39 where it can bedirected into the wash basin beneath the lip 41. Thereafter the cakewill be exposed to drying in air and wastage of the cake will thereby bereduced.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described in itspreferred forms, it will be understood that variations may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. The combination of a soap cake having side surfaces and a suspensionloop therefor, such suspension loop comprising a flexible elongatedplastic member having at least two apertures in longitudinally spacedrelation at each outer end and plastic pins pressed into such aperturesand into engagement with the side faces of such soap cake and retainedtherein whereby said loop member is retained in non-rotationalengagement with said soap cake.

2. A suspension device for a cake of hand soap and the like whichcomprises an elongated flexible plastic member capable of being formedinto a substantially semi-circular flexible loop, said loop having atits outer ends apertures for receiving soap engaging plastic pins, andpins engaging in said apertures and adapted to be pressed into retentionengagement with the side faces of such soap cake, whereby said soap cakemay be suspended from a hook and out of contact with a moisture or watercollecting vessel, the aperture at each outer end of said elongatedflexible member being elliptical, with its major axis coinciding withthe iongitudinal axis of such elongated member, and each said pin havinga shank portion of substantially elliptical shape, whereby saidcooperating elliptical apertures and elliptical shank portions maintainthe loop and soap cake in non-rotational engagement.

3. The combination of a soap cake having side surfaces and a suspensionloop therefor, such suspension loop comprising a flexible elongatedplastic member having apertures at its outer ends and plastic pinshaving elongated shanks and enlarged heads pressed into such aperturesand into engagement with the side faces of such soap cake and retainedtherein.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the elongated flexiblemember is molded polyethylene strip and the pins are of acrylic resin.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein the elongatedpolyethylene strip has integrally formed collars surrounding eachaperture.

i t t

2. A suspension device for a cake of hand soap and the like which comprises an elongated flexible plastic member capable of being formed into a substantially semi-circular flexible loop, said loop having at its outer ends apertures for receiving soap engaging plastic pins, and pins engaging in said apertures and adapted to be pressed into retention engagement with the side faces of such soap cake, whereby said soap cake may be suspended from a hook and out of contact with a moisture or water collecting vessel, the aperture at each outer end of said elongated flexible member being elliptical, with its major axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis of such elongated member, and each said pin having a shank portion of substantially elliptical shape, whereby said cooperating elliptical apertures and elliptical shank portions maintain the loop and soap cake in non-rotational engagement.
 3. The combination of a soap cake having side surfaces and a suspension loop therefor, such suspension loop comprising a flexible elongated plastic member having apertures at its outer ends and plastic pins having elongated shanks and enlarged heads pressed into such apertures and into engagement with the side faces of such soap cake and retained therein.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the elongated flexible member is molded polyethylene strip and the pins are of acrylic resin.
 5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein the elongated polyethylene strip has integrally formed collars surrounding each aperture. 